Revilla sees Palace hand in Cunanan's decision

By Christina Mendez, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. sees Malacanang's hand in the decision of former Technology Resource Center director Dennis Cunanan to offer himself as state witness in the pork barrel scam.

“You know Dennis Cunanan is among those charged for plunder. He is doing this to save his skin,” Revilla told The STAR in an interview last night.

“This is so unfair, and we can see the hands of Malacañang and Boy Pick-up behind this,” Revilla said, referring to Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

“It might be that Boy Pick-up has also picked up Cunanan just to exact revenge,” Revilla said, noting information received by his camp that his having revealed President Aquino’s asking him to vote for the conviction of former chief justice Renato Corona during his impeachment trial in 2012 had enraged Roxas.

“It is obvious that they do not have solid evidence against me. These are all rehashed claims. How will I be calling a mere director of the TRC? If so, I should have called his higher ups,” the senator said.

The senator’s camp said Cunanan merely wanted to evade the plunder charges filed not just by the justice department but by his lawyers as well.

Revilla’s lawyer Joel Bodegon said Cunanan’s move was his “veiled attempt to be freed from prosecution for plunder.”

Revilla and Bodegon said Cunanan cannot be accepted in the Witness Protection Program because he had no solid testimony against the senator.

Bodegon also sought the disbarment of the lawyer of whistle-blowers Levito Baligod for conflict of interest.